The instant invention relates to an insulated multiple component single plane building structure portal closure teaching in combination structural and mechanical means enabling enhanced thermal differential barrier characteristics and air infiltration reduction as well as facilitated opening, tilting, removal, replacement, closing and securement of one or more of a plurality of either vertically or horizontally disposed slidably movable sashes or panels thereof, wherein it is to be understood that building structure portal closures may be either windows or doors of the sliding type but that for purposes of simplicity and ease of discussion and illustration herein, to be understood as being exemplary only, a vertically disposed double hung sliding window and double panel horizontal sliding door will be covered wherein the application of the teachings herein are not thereby specifically limited to uses respectively therewith only but generally to any framed window or door comprising a building structure portal closure having one or more vertically or horizontally slidably displaceable sash or panel members. More specifically, however, this disclosure relates to a single plane insulated portal closure assembled within a support frame having two or more parallelly disposed slide tracks or ways adapted to receive sliding sash or panel closures which are configured to abut in single plane contiguous communication one with the other in the closed configuration.
Inherent to the single plane portal closure sash or panel structure configuration are certain enhanced thermal barrier advantages not obtainable with a conventional off-set sash or panel structural configuration, among which are the following with respect to poor thermal barrier performance characteristics of the latter. First, as a physical consequence of the off-set sash or panel configuration the lower vertical portions of a portal encasement frame and slide jamb structure therefor are exposed to the building structure exterior atmosphere and the upper vertical portions thereof to the building structure interior atmosphere thereby providing a thermal differential conductive conduit or "short circuit" communicating between the respective atmospheres from building structure exterior to interior, and although an extruded vinyl cover shield may be employed as a thermal barrier means the effectiveness thereof in the foregoing circumstance is at best marginal. Likewise, meeting rails of the conventional off-set sash or panel closure structure provide similar thermal differential conductive conduits or "short circuits". Second, vertical air infiltration is promoted rather than reduced or restricted by the off-set sash or panel structure as a result of upwardly communicating openly exposed jamb channels directing exterior atmosphere air up the stile to cause air infiltration therealong as well as along the top rails thereof. And, third, off-set sash or panel structure configurations permit but a single rather than double sash perimeter of weather stripping capability whereby maximum air infiltration dampening is not realized.
Insulative features of the building structure portal closure herein taught are derived in part from the combination of employing a transversely spaced double pane sash or panel glazing having compound support frames constructed of extruded metal pieces joined together by embodying therebetween an interposed elongated insulative connective channel member to thereby reduce substantially conductive thermal differential heat transfer losses between interior and exterior portal closure insert glazing panes in barrier junction between a building structure external and internal thermal gradient, the insulative features of which structure is further enhanced by a similar such insulative joined complementary construction for the portal encasing extruded metal closure frame, being somewhat similar structurally and functionally to those thermal barrier portal closure means as respectively taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,884 to LaBissoniere dated Aug. 26, 1969, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,682 to Schmidt dated May 1, 1979.
Additional insulative, and security, features of the instant invention are further derived from the single plane closed configuration thereof somewhat similar to those disclosures as respectively taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,002,757 to Ribau dated Sept. 5, 1911, U.S. Pat. No. 1,621,851 to Minich dated Mar. 22, 1927, U.S. Pat. No. 2,169,343 to Kaul dated Aug. 15, 1939, U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,960 to Grignet dated July 14, 1942, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,959 to Gartner, dated Oct. 3, 1972, the latter of which, as does the instant invention, having application to employment also with horizontally sliding sashes. Additional single plane horizontal sliding portal closure sash and frame structure combinations are shown by the respective teachings in U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,782 to Swanson dated Jan. 24, 1939, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,312 to Swanson et al dated Apr. 20, 1943.
The present invention also embodies in combination a sash or panel mounting and sliding hardware assembly means which additionally enables inward pivotal rotation of either a window sash or door panel member during supportable retention thereof within the portal encasement frame structure, and sash or panel removal therefrom and replacement thereto as desired. Among exemplary prior art hardware teachings enabling similar such portal closure use versatility are those as respectively set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,062 to Peters et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,063 to Peters, both dated Sept. 25, 1962. Certain structural combination variations of sash hardware also providing generally the foregoing functions are as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,673 to Fiola dated Jan. 9, 1923, U.S. Pat. No. 1,975,187 to Aberle et al dated Oct. 2, 1934, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,076 to Reynolds dated Dec. 16, 1941.
Some of the combination features of the instant invention have, in some respects, both structural and/or functional similarities to various of those teachings separately set forth in certain of the prior art disclosures heretofore cited and briefly discussed. However, as will hereinafter be pointed out, the instant invention is distinguishable from said earlier inventions in one or more ways in that the present invention has utility features and new and useful advantages, applications, and improvements in the art of insulated multiple component single plane building structure closures not heretofore known.